After a restful morning of waiting for the call letting us know that we were okay with the consulate paperwork my long awaited day finally arrived, our trip to the pearl market.
I was the big purchaser for the day. But first let me tell you the pearl market is part of a mall that is like the Northridge mall, Glendale Galleria, downtown fashion district, downtown jewelry mart and best buy combined. It just goes on and on and on and is about 6-7 stories high. It turns out that this is the same shopping street that we ended up (at McDonald's) the day before. We felt we were pros by the time we got there.
We went to the Pearl store that the Rep recommended for quality, fair prices and honesty. In fact quite a few LA retailers go to this store when purchasing wholesale. And it is all wholesale. I purchased 3 huge black Tahitian Pearls. These are the most beautiful and rarest on the market. While we waited I had them set as a Pendant and earrings. The are stunning and about a 1/3 of what you pay in LA at a good deal. Our rep helped negotiate the prices and confirm the quality etc. Then I bought two strands of beautiful 7mm pearl necklaces that they hand strung and individually knotted while we watched. We also left with two additional necklaces that were given to Sienna and I as thank you gifts. Sienna gets gifts everywhere she goes but her favorite is the teenage mutant ninja turtle figurine that came in her happy meal at McDonald's.
The group headed back to the hotel but we chose to celebrate at Pizza Hut in the mall. We sat in a booth and ordered spaghetti for the baby, and a deep dish cheese pizza for ourselves which all three of us wolfed down along with our free bottled water from the pearl place ( we received 3 bags of bottled water). The pizza was just like home! Then John finished his meal by ordering a tiramisu that he said was excellent.
I can not say enough about the Chinese people and how good they are. Everywhere we go people are so helpful and kind. If they speak any English they try their hardest to communicate with us and we enjoy them and their hospitality. If you can get out of your "this is not America, its not clean...blah blah blah" thinking you can have a wonderful time with these sincere and genuine people.
After dinner we walked downstairs, now I must tell you that it is very difficult to navigate strollers here and I feel sorry for people with disabilities because there is very little accommodation for the handicapped. Each time at the mall we have had to carry the stroller and baby up and down the steps or escalator. We never see regular elevators at the mall.
Anyways, after dinner we went downstairs for a buying spree at DVD/CD store. They had several Disney and first run movies out that were in English. The sales lady tested all the movies on the stores DVD player to make sure they were in English before we bought them. We bought 8 movies and 3 Cd's and a CD wallet for about $30! Now you see why we like China. Of course all the girls had to take pictures and video of Sienna which she now hates. Then the baby threw up on my shoulder and half the store emptied. Still they were the nicest people.
Other purchases made around the hotel included some old Chinese coins, a comb made of bamboo and had painted, a bamboo paper cutting (this is art and purely amazing) and the little red book of quotes from Chairman Mao. The stores around the hotel cater to the adoption community and sell tons of junk. But if you live in the Midwest where there is no China town you need to shop at these stores to buy the traditional baby outfits etc. We are lucky in that we can purchase a lot of what we need in LA for the same price.
That's all for now. We are heading to the zoo and consulate today.
I was the big purchaser for the day. But first let me tell you the pearl market is part of a mall that is like the Northridge mall, Glendale Galleria, downtown fashion district, downtown jewelry mart and best buy combined. It just goes on and on and on and is about 6-7 stories high. It turns out that this is the same shopping street that we ended up (at McDonald's) the day before. We felt we were pros by the time we got there.
We went to the Pearl store that the Rep recommended for quality, fair prices and honesty. In fact quite a few LA retailers go to this store when purchasing wholesale. And it is all wholesale. I purchased 3 huge black Tahitian Pearls. These are the most beautiful and rarest on the market. While we waited I had them set as a Pendant and earrings. The are stunning and about a 1/3 of what you pay in LA at a good deal. Our rep helped negotiate the prices and confirm the quality etc. Then I bought two strands of beautiful 7mm pearl necklaces that they hand strung and individually knotted while we watched. We also left with two additional necklaces that were given to Sienna and I as thank you gifts. Sienna gets gifts everywhere she goes but her favorite is the teenage mutant ninja turtle figurine that came in her happy meal at McDonald's.
The group headed back to the hotel but we chose to celebrate at Pizza Hut in the mall. We sat in a booth and ordered spaghetti for the baby, and a deep dish cheese pizza for ourselves which all three of us wolfed down along with our free bottled water from the pearl place ( we received 3 bags of bottled water). The pizza was just like home! Then John finished his meal by ordering a tiramisu that he said was excellent.
I can not say enough about the Chinese people and how good they are. Everywhere we go people are so helpful and kind. If they speak any English they try their hardest to communicate with us and we enjoy them and their hospitality. If you can get out of your "this is not America, its not clean...blah blah blah" thinking you can have a wonderful time with these sincere and genuine people.
After dinner we walked downstairs, now I must tell you that it is very difficult to navigate strollers here and I feel sorry for people with disabilities because there is very little accommodation for the handicapped. Each time at the mall we have had to carry the stroller and baby up and down the steps or escalator. We never see regular elevators at the mall.
Anyways, after dinner we went downstairs for a buying spree at DVD/CD store. They had several Disney and first run movies out that were in English. The sales lady tested all the movies on the stores DVD player to make sure they were in English before we bought them. We bought 8 movies and 3 Cd's and a CD wallet for about $30! Now you see why we like China. Of course all the girls had to take pictures and video of Sienna which she now hates. Then the baby threw up on my shoulder and half the store emptied. Still they were the nicest people.
Other purchases made around the hotel included some old Chinese coins, a comb made of bamboo and had painted, a bamboo paper cutting (this is art and purely amazing) and the little red book of quotes from Chairman Mao. The stores around the hotel cater to the adoption community and sell tons of junk. But if you live in the Midwest where there is no China town you need to shop at these stores to buy the traditional baby outfits etc. We are lucky in that we can purchase a lot of what we need in LA for the same price.
That's all for now. We are heading to the zoo and consulate today.
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